


Take Flight

by Crystalliced



Series: Take Flight [1]
Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Angst, Chapter Story, Drama, F/M, Flashback Story, Fluff, Healing, Romance, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-13 02:23:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2133498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalliced/pseuds/Crystalliced
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The process of healing is a long and painful one...Will a relationship survive the angst to follow after a tragic incident?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue 01

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AsadaShino](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsadaShino/gifts).



   "Don't touch me, Tyler!"  The brunette hisses, recoiling away from my outstretched hand.  I watch, heartbroken, as tears trickle down her face, landing with the quietest sound on the carpet below.

   I remember...

   "I might hurt you..."  Lindsey gasps, shuddering as teardrops roll down her face.  "Don't be ridiculous."  I retort, taken aback by the sincerity in her voice.

   "That's what we thought, what we all thought."  She snaps back, as I recoil from the steely tone in her voice, "Right up until I shot him, no one thought I would even dare."  I can't reply to that.  I can't, because I didn't think she would pull the trigger, either.

    “Well, I guess I’ll take my chances, then.”  I say, walking closer to her and ignoring her protests, and the way she curls up as if to protect herself from harm, as I wrap her tightly in a hug.  

    I feel the first hit against my back, and it hurts  a lot.  But I won’t let her go.  I’ve made that mistake already, and I am not looking to repeat it.  Until I know, absolutely know deep down in my heart, that nothing I do will ever be able to help her or make her happy, I will stay.  I made a promise, and I can’t afford to break another one.  Even if it means that I wake up in the morning with painful bruises on my back.  This physical pain is nothing compared to the hell I will face if I let this girl go.

    Eventually, the punching stops, and she goes limp in my arms, no longer resisting.  Instead she rests her head on my shoulder and I feel the hot damp warmth of her tears blossom across my shirt.

   I know that she wants to be left alone.  I know that.  But I’m afraid that if I leave her alone, she’ll decide that she doesn’t love me anymore.

   And maybe something deep inside of me already believes that.

**    How did it come to this?   
**


	2. Firefight

I walk the hallways of the now familiar hospital, wandering aimlessly.  I do this every time the brunette falls asleep.  Being around her exhausts me.  I'm still holding on to the hope that one day I'll be able to walk in to her room and she won't cringe away from me.  Because...it really hurts.  To watch her constantly turn away from me.  It's like she blames me for what she did.

    No, it was my fault.  My actions are what led up to the situation.  She should have never had to hold the gun, to be forced to make the decision to take a life or die.

    No...she didn't kill that man for her life.  She did it because he was threatening me.  That is what forced her to make her decision, and it has lead to this.  I wonder...am I just hurting her by staying?  Should I keep my promise to stay with her always if I just continue to hurt her?

    If I hadn't been there...if I hadn't...

_"You wouldn't dare!"  Jacob's finally cornered.  He’s disarmed, finally.  Right now, he's threatening my life.  More importantly, he's threatening the one I love, and I will not let him.  For the greater good...I should shoot._

_"We can't..."  Lindsey whispers, resting a hand on my arm, and immediately, I relax.  She's right.  I can't kill this man, defenseless on the ground in front of me.  To do so would be worse than cowardice.  Murderer...I would be a murderer.  I don't want to be like this man.  That would be an insult to my father's memory, the one who fought and died to let us escape twelve years ago._

_"That's right."  The man on the ground says mockingly.  "Listen to the girl.  She's more of a man than you, anyways."  I tense up but do not react further.  If I allow myself to grow angry, I’ll make mistakes.  And this is not a time to mess up._

_"Bitch."  Jacob growls, "Guess what I did to your sister last night."  Lindsey freezes up, whether in disgust or shock, I can't tell._

_"Shut up."  I snap, then:  "Lindsey, call the cops."  She nods and whips out her cellphone, dialing quickly.  My grip on the handgun I'm holding only tightens.  “You don’t deserve to live.”  I glare at the man, who only laughs.  “After taking the life of my father and mother...Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t take you out right here and now!  A reason why I shouldn’t avenge the life of my parents!”_

_“HAHA!  What a fucking joke!”  The black-haired man shouts back at me, and my finger comes to rest on the trigger of the pistol.  “Nothing matters!  We all die eventually!  Who cares who lives and dies whenever?!”_

_“It’s the journey that matters.  It’s dying that makes life precious.”  I whisper.  “We all die eventually...but isn’t the threat of life being taken away that makes it so important?!  My voice rises.  “That we shouldn’t throw it away...that we should care about those around us...because one day, we might not get to see them again?!  Life is precious, and you’re a fool to throw it away, and to dismiss it so casually...!  People die every day, people who don’t deserve to!  People who treasure their lives, people who would give anything for just one more day...To watch you take it away like you own the world, you’re sick!  You don’t deserve to live!”_

_“Like I care about the shit you say!”  Jacob fires back.  This man can’t be reasoned with.  “Your words are meaningless!  Humanity is a failed race!  I’m just helping to even things out a little!  You think I’m the only one who thinks that I do?  I’m not the only ‘bad’ person here!  You think I’m so bad, yet you don’t care about those snotty business tycoons who would destroy half a country for a little extra land!  Those who would sell out their grandmas for some pocket change!  You think I’m so bad-”_

_“You can’t fix everyone!”  I shout.  “You can only try and make a small change!  Humanity is bad  - and will always be bad!  Not everyone is a terrible person!  I’m not stupid enough to have faith in everyone - of COURSE there are bad people out there!  That’s humanity!  We’re all sinners!  But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to be better people!  There are people out there who strive to change the world for the better!  My parents...They didn’t deserve to die!  They never killed anyone!  They did their best to minimize their impact on the enviroment...and you, you took them away from me!  For what reason?!  I understand if you feel that those other people deserved to die...though I wouldn’t do something as insane as actually try to kill them...but...innocent people?  Why?  WHY?!”_

_“It’s cute, it really is...You think your parents were innocent.  Haha...Everyone’s a sinner.  You’re right about that.  So it’s my duty to send everyone to hell, then.  Starting with them!”_

_“Then you should kill yourself.”  Lindsey snaps, slamming her phone shut.  I glance at her, startled.  “If you really want to change the world, make it a better place - start with YOURSELF.  There are people who also see the way you do...there are people who want to revolutionize life.  But they’re not as misguided as you!  Not as shortsighted!  Killing everyone doesn’t fix the problem.  Teaching others...Showing others beauty...Making people happy!  That makes people better!  That imbues them with the drive to be something better!  To be something above!  To transcend!”_

_“Teach people?”   Jacob laughs.  “I’ll teach you!”  He reaches behind his back and pulls out a gun, pointing it at Lindsey._

_I fire my own gun.  And miss by about a foot.  The recoil.  I wasn’t prepared for it...But, more than that..._

_“...You can’t shoot me.”  The man says viciously.  And he’s right.  My hands...why are they shaking?  Why can’t I...The gun clatters out of my hands.  I can’t...I can’t kill someone.  And...Lindsey’s in danger, because I’m so pathetically weak._

_Courage, child._

_I jump forward, pushing Lindsey out of the path of the bullet in the same moment, and leap at Jacob, who swings the butt of his gun at my face._

_Be brave._

_I punch him in the jaw as the metal strikes my upraised arm, and we both go down.  The blow numbs my hand even as it sends a searing stab of pain through my forearm.  He drops the gun and scrabbles for something else on his belt, something, a weapon, I don’t know, I kick him in the face and listen to the beautifully violent sound of breaking bone as he whips out something - a knife! - and stabs me in the stomach with it._

_He doesn’t have the time to retrieve the knife as I pick up the fallen pistol and shoot blindly.  At point blank range, even I can’t miss him completely, though my shot goes through his shoulder instead of his head.  That’s fine.  Disarming him is enough.  But, no, he lashes out with his foot and trips me, and the gun, which I had already been holding loosely, flies out of my hands and lands just a few feet away from his body.  A second, weaker kick catches me in the chest and I stumble backwards towards Lindsey, who catches me as I trip._

_“Tyler!”  Lindsey whispers, fists clenching, as her eyes are drawn to the blood staining my shirt, and more importantly, the hilt jutting out of it.  “I-I’ll be okay.”  I say quietly.  “We need to stop him!”  It’s only then I notice Lindsey is holding my gun, the one I dropped before I jumped at Jacob._

_The pain in my abdomen burns bright, but I do my best to keep it from clouding my mind.  I have to stay calm.  Like Lindsey..._

_“Give it up, please.  It’s over.”  Lindsey says tiredly, training the gun steadily on Jacob’s chest.  “I don’t want to shoot you but I will if I have to.  It’s over.  Just end this already.  Attempted murder will hold you in jail for a few years.  Murder could get you sentenced for life.  Please...for everyone’s sake.  Just let it end.”_

_“Go to hell.”  Jacob says, before lunging at the gun on the ground with his weak left hand.  He turns around, preparing to fire at me._

_A gunshot._

     It was all my fault.  Why didn’t I dive for the gun?  I should’ve known.  But...I guess that I had thought it was over, just as Lindsey had hoped.  I relaxed, and in that moment, a life was lost.  And, Lindsey...

     All those words I said, berating him for being a murderer...What must it have felt like, knowing that she, too, was a murderer?  My words...They were my words.  I never had dreamed that they would be aimed at her, and I didn’t intend them to be.  She must...she must feel sick to her core.  And it’s all because of me.

     In the end, words meant nothing to Jacob.  It was only the action that mattered, of the bullet tearing right through his heart, just where Lindsey aimed it.  How could she be so calm?  Did she fire...with the intent of taking a life?

     Of course she did, she must have known.  She was the one who was strong for me, who took the burden of knowing that her hands had killed another person...Because, after all, a gun is merely a tool, isn’t it?  But...

     Lindsey, who couldn’t hurt a fly and berated me whenever I tried.  The one who always had a smile on her face.  The dancing violinist, the caring girlfriend.  She shouldn’t have had to accept the fact that all of those things, the positive things, were marred by this one incident.  It should have been me.  I....

     A tool...

     It goes both ways.  You can call it justice, or you could call it weakness.  But always, always...a gun is used to hurt.

    She’s emotionally scarred, now - and it’s all my fault.  I’m the one who hurt her, and...supposedly, I’m the only one who can fix her.  As someone who was there, with her, during the incident, I’m supposed to be the one who she can open up to, the one she can empathize with.

     But...whenever I try, she pushes me away, and I don’t blame her.  It’s because of the words I said, the ones that were meant to turn Jacob away from violence.  In reality, though, he couldn’t be reasoned with.  He was too dead set on his path.  That killing people would solve the problem of humanity.  

      Lindsey can’t even look at me because I...I told Jacob he didn’t deserve to live, because he took lives meaninglessly.  And Lindsey...Lindsey...

      Did I...

      Am I the reason you lost your will to live?

      I’m so sorry.  

      It just brings me back to my previously unanswered question:  Am I hurting her by staying?

**Would it be easier...on both of us...if I left?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up - Lindsey's POV.

**Author's Note:**

> Lindsey Stirling (c) Lindsey Stirling  
> Tyler (c) Crystalliced


End file.
